Stress In Cultures Research Articles

Contextualizing experiences of cultural stress: A qualitative exploration among Hispanic/Latinx youth in Miami and Los Angeles.

Hispanic/Latinx youth vary in their immigration heritage (e.g., country of origin, familial migration history, etc.) and the structure of their communities. This study is a qualitative exploration of Hispanic/Latinx youth experiences of cultural stress in Miami and Los Angeles in 2021. A total of 23 Hispanic/Latinx adolescents in Los Angeles (n = 12) and Miami (n = 11) provided in-depth interviews to assess: (a) appraisals of family immigration history and (b) experiences across three cultural stressors: sociopolitical, language brokering, and intragroup marginalization. Interviews were analyzed using a general inductive analytic approach and case comparison methodology to assess differences across sites. For appraisals of family immigration history, gratitude and hope emerged as positive emotions experienced when youth reflected on their immigrant origins. Miami participants reported perceived worsening of sociopolitical stress as a result of changes in political administration whereas participants in Los Angeles felt a sense of relief. Participants in Miami and Los Angeles reported similar strengths and challenges in language brokering with COVID-19 variedly impacting youth's perceived language brokering stress. Last, to youth intragroup marginalization experienced from family members was experienced as more detrimental than from peers, and they reported the use of cognitive reframes to cope. Cultural stressors are dynamic and diverse. This study further informs cultural stress theory by cataloging how families' immigration history and national current events inform experiences of stress among youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Experiences of cultural stress among U.S. citizen migrants: A mixed method approach.

On September 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, devastating the archipelago and forcing thousands of Puerto Ricans to migrate to the U.S. mainland. Guided by a cultural stress theory framework, the present mixed method study examined how various cultural stressors impact participants' daily interactions and mental health outcomes. A total of 319 adult Hurricane Maria survivors residing on the U.S. mainland participated in the study. A mixed method sequential explanatory design was used. First, we used latent profile analysis (LPA) and multinomial logistic regression to identify the varied cultural stress experiences that participants had. Then we used data from semistructured interviews to better understand the experiences of participants classified into the different LPA profiles. Four profiles were identified: "moderate cultural stress" (35%), "overall low" (29%), "high cultural stress" (26%), and "low language stress" (10%). Multinomial regression indicated that members of the moderate cultural stress, high cultural stress, and low language stress profiles all reported significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to members of the overall low profile. Qualitative data exemplified the daily experiences of participants placed into each profile, demonstrating that participants have rich and varied experiences that can contribute to their mental health symptoms. The present study documents the contributions of hurricane trauma and cultural stress vis-à-vis current mental health symptoms. Clinicians working with Hurricane Maria survivors should be cognizant of and inquire about migration-related cultural stressors including discrimination, feelings of being unwelcomed, and difficulty communicating in the destination community's dominant language. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Disentangling the directionality among cultural stressors and psychosocial outcomes in recently immigrated Hispanic families: A random intercept cross-lagged panel model approach.

Research shows the impact of cultural stressors (e.g. perceived discrimination, bicultural stressors, negative context of reception) on adolescents' psychosocial outcomes. Given the presence of multiple cultural stressors in many Hispanic adolescents' lives, it is essential to examine the (a) developmental sequencing of cultural stressors among recent immigrant youth and (b) predictive effects of cultural stressors on adolescents' psychosocial outcomes. We employed a random intercept cross-lagged panel model to examine the longitudinal interplay among cultural stressors and their effects on youth outcomes using longitudinal data with six waves among 302 recently immigrated Hispanic adolescents (47% girls, Mage = 14.51, SD = .88). We observed bidirectional within-person relations and between-person associations among cultural stressors. At the within-person level, bidirectional cross-lagged effects emerged between perceived discrimination and bicultural stress, between perceived discrimination and negative context of reception, and between negative context of reception and bicultural stress. At the between-person level, bidirectional cross-lagged effects emerged only between perceived discrimination and bicultural stressors. Our findings indicate that cultural stressors explain heterogeneity in psychosocial outcomes: self-esteem was inversely predicted by all cultural stressors, whereas depressive symptoms were predicted only by perceived discrimination. In addition, optimism was predicted only by bicultural stressors, and externalizing behavior was predicted by both bicultural stressors and perceived discrimination. These results suggest that the longitudinal relationships among cultural stressors are (partly) bidirectional. Additionally, cultural stressors demonstrated differential predictive effects on psychosocial outcomes, indicating the added value of considering multiple cultural stressors and their longitudinal effects on adolescents' psychosocial outcomes.

African descent populations in the United States are not monolithic: A scoping review of African immigrants' mental health and coping strategies.

African immigrants in the United States have unique experiences and stressors, resulting in diverse outcomes and disparities. As such, examining the effects of cultural stressors (e.g., discrimination, the negative context of reception, bicultural stress) on immigrant populations' mental health can provide a useful framework for explaining and identifying malleable targets to reduce African immigrants' health disparities. This review mapped conceptual and methodological knowledge of cultural stress in African immigrants by applying the cultural stress theoretical framework to reveal (a) what we currently know about the impact of cultural stressors on African immigrants' mental health and (b) coping strategies African immigrants utilize to persist in achieving positive health outcomes. Conforming to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review guidelines, this scoping review spans five interdisciplinary, health-focused databases and includes peer-reviewed articles published in English since 1980. Covidence software was used to screen 2095 articles, review 129 full-text records, and extract data from the 22 studies that met criteria and focused on mental health. Participant and study characteristics (i.e., country of origin, generation, methodology, duration) are highlighted. The impact of discrimination on African immigrants' mental health was the dominant research focus. Congruent with cultural stress theory, negative context, bicultural stress, and immigration-related familial stress also negatively impact their mental health. Nevertheless, African immigrants utilize various coping strategies to achieve positive outcomes. Mapping the existing evidence of immigrant cultural stress and mental health elucidates gaps for research and demonstrates that culturally relevant interventions ought to address immigration-related stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily levels of perceived context of reception and self-esteem among U.S. Latine university students: The moderating role of normative identity styles

ABSTRACT Latine university students represent 21.7% of the U.S. undergraduate student body, yet limited research explores their experiences with cultural stressors, self-esteem, and identity. This study examines the relationship between daily self-esteem and negative context of reception, moderated by two identity processes: normative identity style to host society and country of origin. Using multilevel models, we found that perceived negative context of reception one day predicts lower self-esteem the next day. Normative identity style to country of origin significantly moderated this relationship, exacerbating the impact, while normative style to host society showed no significant effect. These findings highlight the importance of identity processes in understanding self-esteem fluctuations among Latine students.

Examining the role of identity development and cultural stressors in the establishment of a U.S. identity among Hispanic/Latinx college students.

Examining the role of identity development and cultural stressors in the establishment of a U.S. identity among Hispanic/Latinx college students.

Effects of cultural stressors and family etiologic factors on behavioral and mental health among Mexican and other Latino/a immigrant parents in the United States

As the Latino/a population in the United States continues to grow, disparities among subgroups within this population are becoming more evident. Understanding how cultural stressors and family dynamics relate to behavioral and mental health outcomes among Latino/a immigrants offers valuable insights for addressing inequities among specific Latino/a subgroups. As a result, we conducted a moderated-mediation analysis, using a multi-group path analysis approach, to examine the extent to which cultural stressors and family etiologic factors relate to hazardous alcohol use and mental health symptoms among Mexican and other Latino/a immigrant (i.e., Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and El Salvador) parents in the United States. Additionally, we explored the extent to which cultural stressors would indirectly relate to hazardous alcohol use and mental health symptoms through elevated family risk factors and compromised family functioning among both subgroups. The sample consisted of 827 Latino/a immigrant parents with children aged 8 to 16 years, including 287 (35 %) Mexican (M=38.9 years, 61 % female) and 540 (65 %) other Latino/a (M=40.8 years, 72 % female). Variables assessed in this study, and self-reported by participants, included cultural stress, family conflict, poor family management, positive attitudes toward drug use, family functioning, hazardous alcohol use, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. We conducted a series of multiple linear regressions, as well as a multigroup path analysis adjusting for covariates. Scores on all study variables (except family functioning, which evidenced the opposite pattern) were significantly greater in Mexicans than in other Latino/a individuals. We found that hazardous alcohol use was more closely related to family and cultural level predictors among Mexicans, but that links of family and cultural level predictors with mental health indicators were similar between the two subgroups. Grouping Mexicans into a homogenous ethnic group along with other Latino/a subgroups might undermine our understanding of the associations of cultural stress and family-level etiologic factors vis-à-vis the incidence and prevention of hazardous alcohol use and mental health among different subgroups of Latino/a immigrant families, especially those of Mexican origin. Our findings highlight the critical need for tailored interventions aimed at Latino/a immigrant subgroups to ensure equitable substance use and mental health outcomes in the United States.

Analyzing In-Depth Study of Southeast Asian Graduate Students: A Qualitative Approach

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience, but it often presents significant challenges. Southeast Asian international graduate students, in particular, face considerable academic and cultural hurdles when transitioning to U.S. higher education. These stressors, including language barriers, financial difficulties, and academic adjustments, can negatively impact their mental health and academic performance. This study aims to illuminate these challenges and identify effective support strategies. It is essential to recognize the diverse experiences of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, who are included in this study. The SEAA community is rich in culture and heritage, contributing significantly to the U.S. landscape. This research seeks to understand the unique challenges faced by SEAAs and to foster a more inclusive academic environment. This study has identified key academic and cultural stressors by examining the experiences of Southeast Asian international graduate students. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted support services to enhance student well-being and academic success. It is crucial to shift from a deficit-oriented perspective to one that centers on the voices and experiences of SEAA students. By listening to their stories, higher education institutions can develop effective strategies to support their academic journeys and create a more inclusive campus community.

Cultural stressors, youth coping, and mother-adolescent conflict.

This study examined the associations between cultural stressors (i.e., foreigner-based discrimination and acculturation gap conflict) and mother-adolescent relational conflict and the moderating effects of youth coping on these relations. Within a sample of 175 Latinx mothers (Mage = 41.84 years; 88% born in Mexico) and adolescents (Mage = 12.89 years; 52% female; 87% U.S. born), we used actor-partner interdependence models to test the dyadic associations of one's cultural stress experiences with their own (i.e., self-effect) and the other family member's (i.e., mother or adolescent effect) perception of relational conflict, and we examined youth coping as a moderator. Adolescents' experiences of cultural stress were positively related to their own perception of relational conflict but not their mother's. Amid higher maternal discrimination experiences, higher youth shift-and-persist coping was related to lower youth-reported relational conflict. Higher youth discrimination experiences were correlated with higher reports of youth support-seeking, but youth support-seeking did not moderate the relation between cultural stress and relational conflict. Shift-and-persist coping may play a critical role in exacerbating or mitigating the harmful relations between cultural stress and relational conflict, depending upon whether the cultural stressor is external (i.e., foreigner-based discrimination) or family-based (acculturation gap conflict). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

After Hurricane Maria: Effects of disaster trauma on Puerto Rican survivors on the U.S. mainland.

In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Houses were destroyed, millions of people lost power and access to clean water, and many roads were flooded and blocked. In the years following the storm, hundreds of thousands of people have left Puerto Rico and settled on the U.S. mainland. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of disaster trauma among Puerto Rican adults who moved to the U.S. mainland after Hurricane Maria. Participants were 319 adult Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors on the U.S. mainland. Women comprised 71.2% of the sample. Data were collected between August 2020 and October 2021. Participants completed Spanish-language measures of hurricane-related trauma, perceived ethnic discrimination and negative context of reception on the U.S. mainland, language stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, optimism, life satisfaction, and problem drinking. We estimated a structural equation model where hurricane trauma predicted cultural stress, which in turn predicted internalizing symptoms, optimism, and life satisfaction. Internalizing symptoms, optimism, and life satisfaction were specified as predictors of problem drinking. Results indicated that hurricane trauma predicted cultural stress. Cultural stress predicted internalizing symptoms, optimism, and life satisfaction. Internalizing symptoms predicted problem drinking. Hurricane trauma indirectly predicted internalizing symptoms through cultural stress and indirectly predicted problem drinking through cultural stress and internalizing symptoms. Traumatic experiences from the storm may predispose Puerto Rican Hurricane Maria survivors to perceive cultural stress on the U.S. mainland. In turn, cultural stressors may be associated with internalizing symptoms and alcohol problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Intermediary processes in Hispanic/Latinx/o youths' coping responses to cultural stressors.

Cultural stressors related to racism, xenophobia, and navigating bicultural contexts can compromise the healthy development of Hispanic/Latinx/o (H/L) youth. Youth' coping can minimize the adverse impact of this stress. Less is known about the intermediary processes related to youths' cultural stressor experiences and coping responses. We analyzed focus group data from H/L youth (N = 45; 50% girls; 0% nonbinary; Mage = 15.3) to hear their voices on how they interpret, react to, are impacted by and cope with cultural stressors. Using a Grounded Theory approach, we constructed four themes of intermediary processes (e.g., meaning making) and four themes of coping (e.g., distancing oneself). Youth actively processed their experiences, which informed their coping choices, pointing to youths' agency and resilience.

Cultural stressors, acculturation processes, and mental health among adolescents in Korean multicultural families.

To ascertain, among a sample of Korean multicultural adolescents, the longitudinal predictive effects of acculturative stress and parent-adolescent conflict on depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, both (a) directly and (b) indirectly through Korean and heritage cultural practices and identifications. We analyzed longitudinal data from the nationally representative Korean Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS; 2011-2016). The sample consisted of 1,433 households at Wave 3 (the first timepoint used in the present analyses), and 92.7% of families were retained until the end of the study. Adolescents completed measures of acculturative stress and parent-adolescent conflict at Timepoint 1, heritage and Korean cultural practices and identifications at Timepoints 2 and 3, and depressive symptoms and life satisfaction at Timepoint 4. Acculturative stress at Timepoint 1 predicted both depressive symptoms and life satisfaction at Timepoint 4 indirectly through Korean cultural practices and identifications. Parent-adolescent conflict at Timepoint 1 directly predicted depressive symptoms at Timepoint 4 and predicted life satisfaction indirectly through heritage-cultural practices and identifications. These links were invariant across adolescent sex. Among Korean multicultural adolescents, acculturative stressors inhibit engagement in Korean cultural practices and identification as Korean, whereas conflict with parents inhibits engagement in heritage cultural practices and identification with the foreign-born parent's cultural heritage. Decreased Korean and heritage cultural practices and cultural identifications predict increased depressive symptoms and lowered life satisfaction. These findings suggest that culturally stressful experiences can impair psychological functioning among Korean multicultural adolescents by undermining acculturation to both Korean and heritage cultural systems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Immigration status microaggressions: A moderated mediation analysis of cultural stress, fear, internalization, and psychological stress among Latinx and Asian college students.

Latinx and Asian people are experiencing an elevated rate of immigration status-related oppression-both systematically and individually-despite actual nationality, and this type of cultural stressor has seen a rampant increase recently in the United States. We aimed to assess the relation and effect of immigration status microaggressions on psychological stress and some mechanisms connected to these experiences. Using a sample of Latinx and Asian college students (N = 776), we unpack the relationships between individual cultural stressors, such as immigration status microaggressions, and psychological stress, by exploring their mediating relation with internalized racism (Mediator 1), and fear of foreign objectification (Mediator 2), using Hayes's (2012) PROCESS Model 6-serial mediation. Furthermore, we expanded on this model, highlighting differences between Latinx and Asian participants (moderator) using a moderated mediation. Findings suggest a full serial mediation. Specifically, the psychological stress associated with immigration status microaggressions was mediated by internalized racism and fear of foreign objectification. Results also highlighted that Latinx participants, compared to Asian ones, showed a significant positive association between immigration status microaggressions with internalized racism and fear of foreign objectification. Furthermore, a significant interaction for Latinx who experience more fear of foreign objectification was positively associated with psychological stress. Indirect effects for each group are discussed. Our study is one of the first to explore cultural stress in the form of immigration status microaggressions in connection with more general forms of psychological stress and internalizing processes for two groups historically persecuted around immigration in the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding adjustment profiles among Mexican-origin adolescents over time: A focus on cultural risk and resilience factors.

This study used a three-wave longitudinal dataset to: identify adjustment profiles of U.S. Mexican-origin adolescents based on their physical, academic, and psychosocial health adjustment; track adjustment profile changes throughout adolescence; and examine the associations between cultural stressors, family obligation, and adjustment profile membership over time. Participants were 604 Mexican-origin adolescents (54% female, Mage = 12.41, SD = 0.97) in Texas (Wave 1: 2012-2015; Wave 2: 2013-2016; Wave 3: 2017-2020). Three concurrent profiles (Well-adjusted, Moderate, and Poorly-adjusted) emerged at each wave, whereas three transition profiles (Improved, Stable well-adjusted, and Overall poorly-adjusted) were identified across three waves. The results suggest that cultural stressors pose risks for Mexican-origin adolescents' adjustment, and family obligation values play a protective role in these associations.

Cultural stress is toxic stress: An expanded cultural stress theory model for understanding mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth.

Latinx immigrant youth are at greater risk for mental health (MH) concerns than their nonimmigrant Latinx peers. Efforts to address mental health disparities have resulted in the much-needed development of theoretical frameworks explaining mental health disparities in marginalized populations. A theoretical framework that is particularly relevant to mental health disparities among Latinx immigrant youth is the Cultural Stress Theory (CST); however, an expansion of this model is necessary to thoroughly describe and explain mental health risk in this population. This article integrates two frameworks-Toxic Stress Theory and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities research framework-with CST to better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. In doing so, we propose an expanded model that seeks to build on the strengths of CST in two important ways-expanding the breadth of relevant ecological domains and emphasizing the continued focus on specific mechanisms and their associations across levels. The proposed expanded CST model acknowledges a range of influences from the broad systemic and sociopolitical level to the biological level to comprehensively guide research that can better explain mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. An expanded CST model that incorporates the two highlighted frameworks can elucidate additional mechanisms by which cultural stressors influence mental health risk in Latinx immigrant youth. Such mechanistic work holds the key to effectively reducing mental health disparities for Latinx immigrant youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Age-varying association between discrimination, childhood family support, and substance use disorders among Latin American immigrants in the United States.

The cultural stress theory posits that immigrants experience a constellation of cultural stressors such as discrimination that could exacerbate alcohol- and other substance-related problems. Drawing on cultural stress theory, this study investigated the age-varying association between past-year discrimination and substance use disorders (SUDs) among Latin American immigrants aged 18-60 and whether childhood family support moderated the above association. We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) among adults aged 18-60 who identified as a Latin American immigrant (N = 3,049; 48% female). Time-varying effect models (TVEMs) revealed that experiencing past-year discrimination was associated with greater odds of having a SUD during young and middle adulthood for Latin American immigrants. Furthermore, for immigrants with lower childhood family support, discrimination was associated with SUD risk in young and middle adulthood. The present study documents that past-year discrimination was linked to greater SUD risk during young and middle adulthood. Childhood family support may serve as a protective factor in the association between discrimination and risk for SUD among Latin American immigrants. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Online xenophobia and mental health among Venezuelan migrant youth in Colombia: The interplay with "in-person" discrimination.

Emerging research provides insights into migration-related cultural stress experiences and mental health among Venezuelan migrants; however, prior studies have not considered the critical distinction between online xenophobia and in-person discrimination. To address this gap, we assess the psychometric properties of an abbreviated version of the Perceived Online Racism Scale (PORS) with Venezuelan migrant youth and examine the interplay between online xenophobia, in-person discrimination, and mental health. Survey data were collected from Venezuelan migrant youth (N = 319; ages 13-17, 49.5% female) in Colombia in April-July 2023. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the PORS, and multiple regression was conducted to examine key associations. The CFA showed excellent model fit: χ²(7) = 13.498, p = .061; comparative fit index = .989; Tucker-Lewis index = .977; root-mean-square error of approximation = .055; standardized root-mean-square residual = .026. Controlling for demographic factors, online xenophobia was associated with depressive symptoms (β = .253, p < .001) and anxiety (β = .200, p = .001). The online xenophobia-mental health association weakened when controlling for in-person discrimination but remained nevertheless significant (depression: β = .181, p = .002, anxiety: β = .135, p = .026). Interaction effects (Online × In-Person) revealed a pattern in which greater exposure to online xenophobia was associated with greater distress, but only at relatively low levels of in-person discrimination. Findings provide new insights regarding (a) the properties of an increasingly relevant measure of cultural stress, (b) how online xenophobia relates to mental health, and (c) the interplay of online and in-person cultural stressors vis-à-vis mental health among Venezuelan migrant youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Latinx/Hispanic youths' experiences of cultural stressors, emotional reactions, and coping within the family context.

This qualitative investigation examined how Latinx/Hispanic youth experience cultural stressors, emotionally react to, and cope with these stressors within the family context. Forty-five youth participated in six focus groups (51% female; 49% male; 0% nonbinary; Mage = 15.26; SD = 0.79). Using reflexive thematic analysis, we constructed two themes with four accompanying subthemes centering on (a) observing family members experience cultural stressors and (b) experiencing cultural stressors together with family members. Findings highlight the need for cultural stress theory to focus on the family context in Latinx/Hispanic youths' experiences of cultural stressors, their emotional reactions and coping responses to these stressors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Typologies of cultural stressors and assets: Exploring differential associations with prosocial behaviors and depressive symptoms among Latino/a young adults.

Scholars have demonstrated the consequences of cultural stressors on Latino/a adolescents' depressive symptoms and prosocial behaviors. However, there is little understanding of how different combinations of cultural stressors and assets might differentially relate to depressive symptoms and prosocial behaviors, particularly in young adulthood. This study used latent profile analysis to identify varying levels of cultural stressors (foreigner objectification and U.S. marginalization) and assets (family respect values and ethnic identity commitment) among Latino/a young adults. We then examined how profiles differentially relate to three forms of prosocial behaviors (care-based, altruistic, and public) and depressive symptoms. Data derived from a national convenience sample of 1,288 U.S. Latino/a 18-21-year olds who completed a survey. Most were born in the United States (85%) and identified as women (72%). Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: (1) low cultural stressors/moderate cultural assets, (2) moderate cultural stressors and assets, and (3) high cultural stressors and assets. Profile 3 reported higher care-based prosocial behaviors compared to those with Profile 1; yet, those with Profile 1 had higher care-based prosocial behaviors compared to those with Profile 2. For altruistic and public prosocial behaviors, Profile 1 had higher and lower scores, respectively, compared to the other two profiles. Profile 1 showed lower scores for depressive symptoms compared to the other two profiles. Results indicate a nuanced interrelated pattern of cultural stressors and assets that vary and differentially relate to prosocial behaviors and depressive symptoms in Latino/a young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural stress, personal identity development, and mental health among U.S. Hispanic college students.

The present study examines the extent to which culturally stressful experiences may predict impaired well-being, increased internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety), and increased externalizing problems (social aggression, physical aggression, and rule breaking) among a sample of Hispanic college students in Miami across a 12-day period. The predictive effects of cultural stressors on these outcomes were examined both (a) directly and (b) indirectly through daily fluctuations in students' personal identity synthesis and confusion. Results indicated direct predictive effects of cultural stress on four forms of well-being (self-esteem, life satisfaction, psychological well-being, and eudaimonic well-being), on symptoms of depression and anxiety, and on physical aggression and rule breaking. The predictive effects of cultural stress on all four forms of well-being and on symptoms of depression and anxiety were partially mediated through daily fluctuations (instability) in students' sense of personal identity synthesis. Findings were consistent across genders and between U.S.- and foreign-born students. Results are discussed in terms of implications for intervention and for policy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).